


Four Eyes

by forthedefenseyourhonor



Category: Daredevil (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: M/M, Pre-Canon, Pre-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-04
Updated: 2016-01-04
Packaged: 2018-05-11 17:16:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5635240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/forthedefenseyourhonor/pseuds/forthedefenseyourhonor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A short origin story for Matt Murdock's iconic glasses.</p><p>Set in the second semester of Matt & Foggy's second year at Law school.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Four Eyes

It was unseasonably hot for April, Foggy thought as he allowed the warm air being circulated by the desk fan to move over him for a moment. Columbia’s only affordable dorm rooms were in old buildings deemed unsuitable for retrospective fitting of air conditioning units and so, currently, he sat sweating as he tried desperately to finish the final essay of the semester. Matt had decided to go to the library to work but it was even warmer among the dusty bookshelves and bringing your own desk fan into the quiet study area was generally frowned upon so Foggy had opted to stay at home instead. Matt, ever the model student, had left the room that morning before Foggy had even seriously contemplated getting out of bed.

It was just after midday now and the sun, high in the sky, was beating down on his back through the window of the dorm room. Foggy was beginning to think about lunch and whether he should go to meet Matt at the library and convince him to go out for food. He had just made a mental deal with himself that he would head out after he’d written another 200 words when he heard the unmistakable sound of Matt’s cane tapping along the corridor outside. He turned to face the door as Matt opened it and was slightly shocked at the sight that greeted him. Matt wasn’t wearing his glasses. Foggy had never seen him take them off in public and, given that both Matt’s hands were full with no glasses in sight, he assumed he must have come across campus without them. It was only as Matt stepped further into the room that Foggy spotted a cut on his left temple and a bruise beginning to blossom around it.

“Woah, Matt, are you OK? What the hell happened?”

Foggy stood up, blocking Matt’s path across the room and peering at the injury.

“Oh, it’s nothing, Foggy. Honestly.”

“Dude, you’re bleeding. Sit down, now.”

Matt raised a hand to the side of his head and gingerly explored the area around the cut. Foggy hurried into the bathroom to find the first aid kit his mother had packed for him when he had left home. Luckily it had not seen a lot of action during his time at college and so was still well stocked. Foggy dropped down on the bed next to where Matt now sat, looking slightly dejected, and ripped open an antiseptic wipe.

“This might sting,” he said, dabbing gently at the cut. “So, you gonna tell me what happened? Do I need to go fight someone?”

Matt laughed.

“No, it was an accident,” he replied, “Rogue football.”

 He gestured towards his face.

“I was coming back to see if you wanted to grab lunch. I was walking across the quad and I heard someone yell but, y’know, it’s hard to avoid something you can’t see coming at you.”

There was a smile still playing around his mouth as Foggy finished cleaning the cut. It didn’t look so bad now but the bruise was beginning to turn distinctly purple.

“Anyway, I think my glasses were the real casualty.”

Matt reached into his bag and pulled them out. Foggy could see now why Matt had decided not to wear them back across campus. The left hand side of the metal frame was bent out of shape and the lens was missing entirely.

“Shit. Have you got the lens? Maybe we could go get them repaired?” Foggy offered.

“Nope,” Matt said as he stowed the glasses again. “I didn’t fancy crawling around on my hands and knees searching for it.”

He shrugged.

“I’ve had them for years, maybe it was time for a change anyway.”

Foggy gazed at Matt for a moment. He and Matt had known each other for a year and a half now but seeing him without his glasses was still not a regular occurrence. His features looked softer without them.

“Hey, my mom’s optician friend works just around the corner, we could go and get an expert opinion on some new glasses!”

Matt smiled, “I’d much rather have your opinion.”

Foggy grinned and felt himself blush slightly. He snapped the first aid kit shut and said, “C’mon then, Murdock. I haven’t got all day!”

* * *

The walk across campus did not take long but Matt stayed unusually close to Foggy’s side the entire way. Foggy suspected that Matt was left feeling vulnerable without his glasses and so he did his best to put Matt at ease, chatting non-stop about what people were doing on the quad and the dogs he saw and what they could spend summer doing once all their work was done. They soon reached the opticians and stepped gratefully into the cool air conditioned shop.

“Franklin!” came a cry from a desk at the back of the shop.

“Hey, Mary,” Foggy said, smiling and leading them over to where she stood, before being pulled into a motherly embrace.

“Matt, this is Mary. Mary, my roommate, Matt.”

Matt flashed his usual charming smile and extended a hand which Mary clasped with both of hers.

“So, to what do I owe the pleasure, boys?” Mary asked as she surveyed the two of them, her eyes lingering on the cut by Matt’s eye.

“Matt’s sunglasses were the victim of a wayward football on campus so we’ve come to seek professional advice on a new pair.”

Mary’s nostrils flared and she tutted loudly.

“I hope whoever was responsible apologized,” she said, moving towards a display of dark glasses.

“Profusely,” Matt chuckled.

Foggy was now busy eyeing-up the sunglasses display. There were some particularly ridiculous looking frames that he intended to get Matt to try, if only to get some pictures of him looking anything less than his usual unruffled, handsome self.

“So, what style do you like?” Mary said turning to Matt and clearly analysing his features.

“I’m not really sure. I was thinking I might just try a few and see what Foggy thinks.”

Mary raised her eyebrows slightly.

“Sure thing, give me a shout if you need anything.”

She gave Foggy a small, knowing smile and headed back over to her desk.

“So, Franklin-” Matt started, but Foggy already had his hands on a pair of ridiculously oversized red plastic frames.

He continued in this vein for about five minutes, choosing the most inappropriate sunglasses on display including a pair of women’s glasses with ridiculous swirls of acrylic at the hinges of the arms. He had even managed to get a picture of Matt in those before receiving a sharp smack around the ankles from the cane and promising to start taking the task seriously.

“OK, OK! Try these,” he said, slightly breathless from laughter.

He handed Matt a pair of glasses not dissimilar to the broken pair: matte black metal frames with dark, square lenses. Matt ran his fingers nimbly around the frames before bringing them up to his face.

“These seem more my style,” he smirked.

They looked good, Foggy thought. Matt looked back to his normal self, ignoring the bruise still visible around his left eye. Wistfully, Foggy hoped that one day seeing Matt without his glasses wouldn’t seem so alien to him.

“Nice,” Foggy smiled and nodded, “Shall I get Mary back over here?”

“Hang on, how much are they?” Matt said, his brow furrowing slightly. “They feel expensive...”

He pulled the glasses from his face and handed them back to Foggy, who found the price tag. He inhaled sharply through his teeth; Matt groaned.

“How much?”

“Two hundred and fifty dollars.”

Matt looked crestfallen.

“I can’t afford that,” he said, fiddling with the strap on his cane.

“Hang on,” Foggy said suddenly, “There’s a sale section here.”

He dragged Matt a little further down the display to a section of glasses with small green sale stickers on the lenses. It didn’t look particularly promising. These were mostly sports glasses or more ridiculous frames that, whilst amusing to Foggy, were not practical for everyday wear. He bent down and picked up the only remotely sensible pair on the rack and handed them to Matt. The frames were thin silver-colored metal with round lenses. Matt examined these as well, his brow still slightly creased.

“Has the John Lennon look come back in fashion?” he said, laughing as he ran his fingers around the edge of the round frames.

Foggy laughed.

“Look, these are the only vaguely normal ones on this rack. Just try ‘em.”

Matt sighed as he put the glasses on before pulling an exasperated expression. Foggy was taken aback.

“Hey, I think these could be the ones, buddy.”

“Ha-ha, very funny.”

“No! I’m serious,” Foggy said, trying his best to sound genuine. “Hey, Mary! Expert opinion needed, stat!”

Matt huffed slightly as Mary got to her feet and bustled back towards the two of them.

“Nice!” she said as she approached. “They really suit you. There’s not a lot of men can pull off a round frame, y’know.”

Matt raised his eyebrows at Foggy. They really did suit him, Foggy thought. Maybe even better than the old ones. The round lenses emphasized his high cheekbones and defined jaw.

“Seriously, dude, I know I was messing around before but I promise they look good,” Foggy said earnestly.

“Plus they’re only-” he reached up to Matt’s face to check the label “-a hundred and five dollars!”

“They’re a good brand, too,” Mary chipped in. “Should last you a good while, so long as you can avoid being hit by any more footballs.”

Matt laughed.

“OK then,” he pulled the glasses from his face. “I’ll take them.”

He handed the glasses to Mary and she moved away to find a case. He turned back to Foggy.

“You really think they’re OK?” he asked looking worried.

“Honestly,” Foggy said placing a hand on Matt’s arm. “I wouldn’t lie to you about something like this. How heartless do you think I am?”

Matt’s face relaxed and he chuckled lightly.

“All right, I trust you.”

Foggy smiled and offered his elbow to Matt as he led them to Mary waiting at the cash desk. She had removed the tag and sticker from the glasses and polished the lenses to a high shine. As the sunlight from the storefront window hit the lenses Foggy noticed that they were not black, as he had originally thought, but a deep, dark scarlet.

“Here.”

She handed them back to Matt, who lifted them to his face and turned to Foggy.

“You’re definitely sure?”

“Definitely.”

Matt grinned and turned back to the desk to pay, the sunlight glinting on the silver frames.


End file.
